SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – A Springfield man was convicted Tuesday of killing his pregnant girlfriend and the unborn child.
Derik Osborn was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree domestic assault in the death of Valerie Williams. She was found dead at a Springfield apartment complex on March 1, 2017. She was 16 weeks pregnant at the time.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Osborn’s history of violence toward Williams, The Springfield News-Leader reported.
Osborn told police Williams injured herself when she fell backward onto a carpeted floor.
Johnson noted in her closing arguments that four doctors testified Williams “suffered extreme injuries that could not be caused by simply falling from a standing position to a carpeted floor.”
Defense attorney Stuart Huffman argued that Williams’ death was caused when she fell and was a “horrific, horrible accident – but it is not an assault.”
Osborn will be sentenced Oct. 8.
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